Electric heater.



P. J. HOLMES.

ELECTRIC HEATER.

APPLICATION nun MAY 24.1909.

HEET 1.

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ELECTRIC HEATER.

nrucuxon FILED MAY 24. 1909.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK J. HOLMES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINoIs ASSIGNOR T0 VULCAN ELECTRIC HEAT- ING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, a. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. Homsrns, a citizen of the United States, residing at cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Heaters, of which the following is a full, clear, concise,- and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming'a part; of this specification.

My invention relates to an electric heater, and has special reference to an electric curl ing iron. It embodies many features which have been unknown in the previous art. These special features may be regarded from four aspects. First, the general assembly; second, the special construction of the terminal parts; third, the. winding. details; fourth, the mechanical details. I

According to my invention the curling iron consists of three principal ;members first, a cylinder or tube with its handle; sec.-

0nd, a heating member which is inserted in the tube; third, the electrical connector byv 5 which the current is introduced into the curling iron. Besides these three members which comprise the curling iron itself, a clamp, to be described in detail hereafter,v is attached to the tube member of the curling iron. By myconstruction it is possible to easily renew any parts which may become damaged or worn out, and the assembl of the parts is so simple that no special sk1ll is required.

The improved construction of the terminal member isof special advantage on account of the'ease with which the connector may be joined to this terminal by means of a bayonet connection, as will be described in detail hereafter. Moreover, all the terminals are so constructed .that they are inaccessible from the outside and are therefore not liable to deterioration with 7 resultant faulty connections. This construction also prevents any liability of accidental short circuiting. v e

The heating member possesses certain special features in connection with its windings. Forming the core of this member is a steel wire, one end of which forms a terminal, and to the other end of which, away from Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 2 1913, Application filed May 24, i509. Serial No. 497,835.

gpoint the resistancewire is connected to a g'wire having copper, ,wh1ch a high conductivity, preferably I V inturnconnectswith the sec- OHd tGlmlDiLl of the heating member. It is jevident that by this construction the free end Eof the curling ,iron tube will become heated iwhile the-handle end will remain comparatively cool. Probably the greatest problem in makinga curling iron with a removable heating member is the construction of the heating memberitself which must be in the form of a long thin pencil witha thoroughly :insulated and protected winding. It must 'be sufliciently small in diameter to pass ffreely into and out ;curling iron tube, iwithstand the of the necessarily small yet sufliciently rigid to handling, to which it is subjected in manufacture anduse.

. which have previously There are several mechanical details which render my invention muchsuperior to those been in use. Among these may be mentioned the shape of the clamp by which the tube itself is surrounded to the extent of approximately half of its circumference. The tube is brought to a- .bullet-nosed point, and the end of the clamping member is made to assume a similar shape. This is a point of great superiority, as it thus becomes readily possible to insert the clamp into the hair next to the scalp. This is of particular advantage in some forms of marcel waving.

Further details of the special mechanical features of my invention will be described the curling iron,

hereafter.

Turning now to a detailed description of my invention as illustrated in the drawings; Figure 1 is an elevation view of the curling iron showing the members in their normal positions; Fig. 2 is a diametrical section of the heating member being shown in elevation; Fig. 3 is an-enlarged diametrical section of the heating member; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view showing the various layers of which the heating member is composed; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the shell which is inserted in the connector tube; Fig. 6 is a section on the plane 6, 6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of 15, also showing the terminals of the heating member in position; Fig. 8 is a section on the plane '8, 8 of Fig. 3; Fig. 9 is a partial plan view at an angle of 90 degrees from that of Fig. 1, showing the method of engaging the heating tube and the clamping member.

The heating tube 1, preferably made of steel suitably nickel plated, is connected by means of the shoulder member 2 with the ebonized handle 3. A clamping member 4: is provided with a ferrule 5, through which the tube 1 is inserted, The tube is held in position by the spring 6, which engages in an annular groove formed by theangular portions 7 and 8 of the shoulder 2, By placing the finger under the free end of the spring, the clam ing member may be readiy removed wit out forcing the spring up the inclined surface. The clamping member is connected to the ferrule 5 by means of the p v and th l mping membe and he ube an e opene l e i ws y p essng on the bu on 0.- A shown i Fig, 9,

a notch s p ovided in t e sh mem-i enwh h engages th he 920 50 01112 the ferrule, thus preventing the eating tube rom turning Th tube 1 ha ts-end a ay rom he andle te med into. a hu iet hose paint.

1. the tube 1 h r 13,51 detai ed c nst u tio f w ch is est h w i. Fig ,3 and 6h Fo ming t core of this heating member a wire 14, hich i p e erably ade o t e s itably harde ed to give it sti fn ss.- T e i surr n d y an insula j g erably of lavite or' some similar composition. Th s u e may p s rab y' e made in two sections to lessen the liability of breakthe two portions formed by the slothas been.

removed, leavin the other portion as a background at 1 The resistance wire 17 is wound around the layite tube until it has vered approximate y h l h ng 0f t heating member. The resistance wire is then connected to a second wire 18, which is pref;

erably of copper, This wire covers the remaining length of the heating member in long spiral windings and is joined to the terminal member 19 at the portion 20.

The wire core 14 is suitably flattened atits end, as shown in the portion 21 of Fig. 3.

s inser ed th h hg h tube 15, pref- The wire is then bent at a right angle and forms the terminal-portion 22. The flattened portion of the wirecore is also provided with a hump 21-. T be second terminal member 19 is similarly flattened and is suitably bent to form the terminal 28, The flattened portions 19 and 21 are inserted in a porcelain terminal block 24, and each of these flat tened portions is provided with a hump shown at 25 and 26, respectively, by which these portions are securely held in the porce terminal block 24. The hump 21 of the wire core and the corresponding bent portion 19 of the member 19 serve to hold the terminals 19 and 21 still more securely in position. Between the two portions 19 and 21 is placed suitable insulating material, as for example fiber, and an insulating cement is also forced between them, so that when this cement hardens the portions will be firml held in position. The porcelain termina block 24 is surrounded by a steel .shell 27, in which is an opening 28 suitably tw-ag ed to receive the locking screw -29, is inserted through an opening in the ebonized handle 3. The terminal block may also be made as a modification in which the porcelain block itself is suitably tapped to receive the locking screw 29, and no steel shell 27 is provided.

I now return to a description of the several layers'of which the heating member is composed.

In order' to protect the end of the lavite tube and the connections of the resistancewirewfith the steel core, a brass cap 30 is 1 fitted over the end of the lavite tubel Over the resistance wire 17 and the copper wire 18' is thedwouhd a layer of mica 31 and 'overthis alayer' of asbestos 32. Through out; the whole length of the heating member istlien'applied a layer of binding wire 38, preferably of steel, which is securely held in position by a suitable cement'34. After the heating member is inserted in its posit-ion, as shown in Fig. 2, connection may readily be made with a source of electric current by means of the connector member 35, member consists of a shell or tube 36 of fiber, electroseor some similar material. In this tube is inserted a shell 37, shown in Figs. 5, Band 7. To t-his she'l'l 37 are connected terminals 38and 89, which are suitably bent to form a bayonet connection with the terminalsQfZ and 28' of the heating member. As shown in Fig. 6 the terminals 38 and 39 extend on the interior of the frame to approximately half its length and then are extended outwardlythrough the openings 42 to form the portions 40 and 41. This shell is forced into the outer shell 36 and the lugs 40 and 41 are bentback in such a manner as to form spring clips, which, together with glue be tween the outer and inner shells, hold the inner shell in position. This condition is This best shown in Fig. 2. The terminals 38 and 39 with their associated parts are preferably made of steel, in order to give the necessary amount of spring. Two wires 40 ,and 40 leading to the source of current are connected with the connector member as shown in Fig. 2, being soldered to the terminals 38 and 39 by the solder 42*, as shown in Fig. 6. The wires 40 and 40 are covered with an insulating winding of silk, cotton, or the like and a rubber core. To revent the wires from pulling out of the shell 36, they are provided with a common winding 40 which abuts against the shoulder 36 of the shell 36. In order to give greater flexibility, the conductors are separate for a short distance adjacent to the connector, but beyond this portion are bound together with a suitable winding, forming the duplex conduct-or 40.

The operation of the conductor is now evident. After the heating member 13 has been inserted in the tube 1 and is held in position by the locking screw 29, the connector 35 is inserted in the handle and is then turned until the terminals 22 and 23 engage with the terminals 38 and 39, in a bayonet connection. One of the main points of advantage in this form of connector is that the terminals 38 and 39 are removed a suflicient distance from the end of the outer shell 36 so that there is but little danger of inadvertently forming a short circuit between the terminals. Moreover, when the instrument is connected for operation it is clear that all connections are removed from exposure.

There are several mechanical features which are of particular advantage in this curling iron. In order to hold the wooden handle 3 securely in position, it is inserted in such way that its periphery occupies a position between the shoulder member 2 and the tube 1, best shown in Fig. 2. A suitable tool is then inserted in the end of the tube in such a manner that the edges 43 of the tube 1 are forced into the material of the handle. In this way the handle is firmly held in position. Similarly, the shoulder 2 is fitted over the tube 1 and then by means of suitable tools the annular portion 44 of the member is forced into the body of the metal of the tube 1, a mandrel being placed inside the tube to preserve it from distortion. The button 10 of the clamping member is held in position by means of a short ductile tube 45 molded into the body of the button, and the outer end of this tube is then suitably upset to connect the button with the clamping member. as shown in Fig. 2.

A. feature of great advantage in my curling iron is the simplicity of the spring mechanism controlling the clamping member. From Fig. 2 the exact construct-ion is evident, it consisting in a spring 6 suitably bent to inclose the pivot 9, to which the ferrule 5 is also attached.

It is evident that considerable variations may be made in the detail construction of my curling iron without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim and desire to cover by Letters Patent is:

1. In a heating member for an electric heating device, a metallic core, an inherently rigid tube of refractory insulating material surrounding said core, resistance wire wound on the outside of said tube and connected to one end of said core, a layer of insulating material inclosing said resistance windings, a wrapping of coiled wire for retaining said insulating layer in position, and terminals connected to said core and said resistance windings.

2. In a heating member for an electric curling iron, a metallic core, an inherently rigid tube of refractory insulating material inclosing said core, resistance wire wound on the outside of said tube and connected to one end of said core, a terminal block on one end of said tube, and terminals supported in said block, said terminals being connected with said core and said resistance wire.

3. In a heating member for an electric heating iron, a metallic core, an inherently rigid tube of refractory insulating material, windings of resistance wire on the outside of said tube, means connecting said Windings to one end of said core, an insulating ceramic terminal block on the other end of said core, said terminals supported in said block, said terminals being connected with said core and said resistance windings respectively. I

4. In a heating member for an electric heating iron, a metallic core, the end of said core forming one terminal of said member, a refractory insulating tube inclosing said core, a resistance wire wound around said tube, a wire connecting said resistance wire to said core at the end opposite to said terminal, an insulating terminal block in which said terminal is inserted, a second terminal inserted in said block, insulating means for separating said terminals, a wire connecting said second terminal with said resistance wire, a layer of insulating material inclosing said resistance wire and binding wire to retain said insulating material in position.

5. In a heating member for an electric heating iron, a metallic core, a refractory insulating tube surrounding said core and projecting beyond one end, a slot in the projecting end of said tube, a wire connecting said resistance wire to said core, said resistance wire passing through said slot, and terminals connected with said core and said resistance wire respectively.

6. In a heating member for an electric heating iron, a metallic core, a refractory insulating tube surrounding said core and projecting beyond one end, a slot in the projecting end of said tube, resistance wire wound around said tube, said resistance wire being connected to said core through said slot, a cap fitting over the projecting end of said tube, and terminals connected to said core and said resistance Wire respectively.

7. In a heating member for an electric heating iron, a metallic core conformed on one end to form a terminal, a terminal block in which said terminal is inserted, a second terminal inserted in said block, insulating means for separating said terminals, a projection on each of said terminals to retain said terminals in position, a refractory insulating tube inclosing said core, resistance wire wound around said tube and connected to said core at the end opposite the terminal, and means connecting said resistance wire to said second terminal.

8. In a heating member for an electric heating iron, a metallic core conformed at one end to form a terminal, a terminal block in which said terminal is inserted, a second terminal inserted in said block, insulating means for separating said terminals, a refractory insulating tube inclosing said core, a resistance wire wound around said tube for a portion of its length, a higher conductivity Wire connecting said resistance wire to said second terminal, and a wire connecting said resistance wire to said core.

9. In a heating member for an electric heating iron, a metallic core conformed at one end to form a terminal, a terminal block of insulating material in which said terminal is inserted, a second terminal inserted in said block, insulating means separat ing said terminals, a refractory insulating tube inclosing said core, resistance windings inclosing said tube, a wire connecting said resistance wire with the end of said core opposite to said terminal, a wire connecting said resistance Wire with said second terminal, a layer of mica inclosing said resistance wire, a layer of asbestos inclosing said mica layer, a binding wire to retain said layers in positing, and a layer of cement to retain said binding Wire in position.

10. An electric heating device consisting of a wire core, a refractory insulating tube inclosing said core, a resistance Winding on the outside of said tube and a wrapping of insulating material inclosing said winding and a wrapping of coiled Wire around said wrapping of insulating material.

11. In combination with an electric heating device, a source of electric current, a tubular socket in said heating device, a terminal device secured therein, the end of said device toward the socket opening being of smaller dimensions than the socket opening, a tubular plug adapted to be insorted in said socket, and a terminal device within said plug, said plug thereby adapted to connect the electric heating device with the source of current.

12. In combination with an electric heating device, a source of current, and an electrical plug adapted to connect said heating device with said source of current, said plug comprising a cylindrical shell of insulating material and a pair of terminals within said shell, said terminals cooperating with the terminals of the heating device to form a substantially rigid connection.

13. In combination with an electric heating device, a source of current, and a plug for connecting the heating device with a source of current, said plug comprising a cylindrical shell of insulating material and a pair of terminals within said shell, said terminals cooperating with the terminals of the heating device to form a substantially rigid connection on rotating said shell.

14. In combination with an electrical heating device, a source of current, and a plug for connecting said heating device with said source of current, said plug consisting of a cylindrical shell of insulating material, a second shell of insulating material fitting within said first shell, means for retaining said inner shell within said outer shell, and a pair of terminals *igidly attached to said inner shell, said terminals cooperating with the terminals of a second member to form a substantially rigid connection on rotation of the connectcr.

15. In combination with an electric heat ing device, a plug comprising a cylindrical shell of insulating material, a second shell of insulating material fitting within said first shell, and a pair of terminals rigidly attached to said inner shell, each of said terminals on one end being bent to form a hook whose opening lies in a transverse plane of said shell and on the other end. projecting through an opening in said inner shell to form a lug, said lug adapted to retain said inner shell within said outer shell.

16. In combination with an electric heating device, a plug comprising an outer shell, an inner shell fitting within said outer shell, and lugs projecting from the surface of said inner shell, said lugs being bent inwardly toward said inner shell when the inner shell is forced within the outer shell.

17. In combination with an electric heating device, a plug comprising a cylindrical insulating shell, a transverse abutment shoulder within said shell, a second shell adapted to fit within said first shell, and lugs projecting from the surface of said second shell, said lugs being bent inwardly toward the inner shell when the inner shell In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe is forced Within the outer shell, the inner my name this 22nd day of May, 1909. shell being thereby secured against longi- FRANK J. HOLMES. tudinal displacement in one direction by the Witnesses:

5 abutment shoulder and in the other direc- O. C. REIGHERT,

tion by said lugs. IIENRY M. HUXLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

